The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-08-19
Terrible Loss of Life.

CHICAGO, Aug. IA Chicago Times
special from Forest, ILL.,, says: All the
railroads horrors in the history of this
country were surpassed three miles east
of ChatswoTth last night, when an ex-
cursion train on the Toledo, Peoria and
Western road dropped through burn
ing bridge and over one hundred people
were killed and four times that number
were more or less badly injured. Tue
train was composed of six sleeping cars.
SIX day coaches and chair cars, and three
baggage cars. II was earring $50 pas
sengers, all eXcursionistS, and was boGnd
for Niagara Falls. The train had been
made up all along the linz of the Toledo.
Peoria and Western road and the excur-
sionists hailed from various points IN
central Illinois. the bulk of them, how
ever, coming from Peoria. Some of the
passengers came from Canton, E!paso,
Washington and, in fact, al stations
along the line some from as far west
as Burlington and keokuk, Iowa. y
special and cheap rate had been made
for the excursion and all sorts of people
took advantage of it. When the train
drew out of Peoria al S So'clOck last eve
ming, It was loaded TO its utmost capacI-
". Every berth in the six sleepers was
people each. The train vas so heavy
that two engines were required to haul
il. Three miles east of ChatswOrth Is
little slough where the railroad crosses
a dry run about ten feet deep and htteen
feet wide. Over this was stretched an
ordinary trestle bridge, and as the eX-
cuTsiCn train came laundering down 10
it the first engineer was hOIrlted at see
ing that this bridge was on ire. There
was no chance 10 stop. The first engine
passed over in safety, but the bridge
broke under the gTeas weight. and the
second engine and cars crashed through
with their human freight. The cars
were piled on top of one another IN
great confusion. GA top of the engine
were three baggage cars and crashing
into them came six coaches, only the SIX
sleeping cars escaped. Every passenger
il the front car was lying dead or diving,
and Of those in the special car but four
people came out alive. The third Car
lay on top OF the second with many VIC
Tins inside. The other three cars were
not so badly crushed, but many or the
occupants were killed or manned by the
broken and twisted seats and timbeTS.
Instantly the air was filled with the
cries or the wounded and the shrieks OF
the uAlDE- mere Was duOeLCl AAI6CA
yet 10 be met. The bridge was Still
burning and the flames Tapped over and
around the wrecked cars, and TO tight
the fire there was not drop OF water
and only some fifty able bodied men
who had escaped unhurt 20 assist IL put
ting out the fire and helping the injured
and diving. The earth WAS the only
weapon TO fight the fire and for -four
hours the fifty men fought like fiends 10
crush the fire with handstull of earth.
/ The accident occurred a few minutes
before midnight and at nearly O'CLOCK
I the victory was won and the lire was put
out before the sun rose on The scene OF
the horror. Help then began TO arrive
from the EeighbOring towns and the
work of removing the victims from the
wreck proceeded more rapid. As the
dead were laid reverently alongside OF
each Otner out on the cOruheld there
were ready hands to take them into
ChatsworJh, while some of the wounded
were carried TO Piper City. One hun
dren and eighteen was the awful poll OF
the dead, while the wounded number
four times that many. a full tally OF
the dead cannot, however, be told fOI
days ChatSwOrth was turned into a
morgue to-day. The town hall, engine
7 Io'AoC. duN AS POb nCAC al AuAA VA NCfRN
bodies while every house in :he little
village had its quota % the wounded
There were over one bundled cOrpseS
having IL the eX.e mpOriZed dead house:
aud every man and woman was turned
/ into an amateur but JEALOUS nurse
| Over in the lumber yard the noise Oi
/ hammers and SAWS rang out in the air
/ and busy carpenters were making rough
I collins TO carry TO their homes the dea1
| bodies of the eXcursiOnists who twelve
I hours before had left their homes full Of
/ pleasuIahle expectations o: enjoyment
/ they were going TO have during the va
{ cation which had just begun.
! To add TO the horror of the terrible
i catastrophe a suspicion exists, and there
J are many who give 1t cTedeuce, that the
| accident was deliberately planned casS
| of train-wrecking for the purpose Oi
/ robbery. Whether planned or not, it j:
a truthful fact that the dead and dying
were robbed of watches, jewelry anC
money as they lay in the wrecked cars
/ Even when the dead bodies were laid il
| the cOrnfield these fiend5 turned then
: over in their search for valuables. Who
| these guerTilas were is not known, but
| that plupdering was done by an organ
| lied gang is believed, from the fact thai
! sixteen empty purses were found in 8
heap this morning IN the cOrnfeld.